Get better at Escaping Side Control

Your guide for better Jiu-Jitsu

Being able to escape bad positions should be a priority in your Jiu-Jitsu. This guide will cover the best ways to escape side control.

What we cover:

  1. Getting your back off the floor

  2. How to build a frame properly

  3. Dealing with shoulder pressure

  4. Back Door Escape

  5. Side Control Reversal

  6. How to practise side control escapes

  7. Training checklist

  8. How 2800 students feel about escaping side control

  1. Objectives & Mechanics

Escaping side control comes down to the problem of moving weight. The answer is to be a little pyramid under a brick. You should build a frame with your body - this is called a hip escape. If you remain flat on your back your chances of surviving and escaping decrease drastically.


Secret Tip

You can’t benchpress someone to escape from side control. You want to use frames and leverage to create space and opportunities.

Watch Video | Escaping Side Control Objectives and Mechanics

2. Execution and Awareness

Your main goal when escaping side control is to create opportunities to escape. You have to be aware that whatever way your head is turning dictates your escape. You cannot move into pressure. 

The most common control from your partner is using shoulder pressure. You can start to turn away from your partner and build a frame. This affords an escape by turning to your knees. This is called the back door escape.

Watch Video | Escaping Side Control Execution and Awareness

3. Invisible Jiu-Jitsu

Go with a move. Do not force a move. You have to feel more than you do. If you can turn towards your partner you can escape into kesa gatame. The goal here is to take away your partner's posts and base by coming up onto your knees in one motion.

Watch Video | Escaping Side Control Invisible Details

4. Common reactions

Your partner has a whole host of reactions but your goal remains the same. Build the frame with your legs and get off your back. An example for some squeezing you really hard is to take their base away.

Your partner will try to reestablish control when they feel you escaping. To get your arm underneath your partner you can pin your elbow past your partner's hip and upa. This will off balance them leading to a sweep.

Watch Video | Common Reactions

5. How to practise

You need to find a partner that will feed you the reactions you are looking for. Not someone who is trying to win the ADCC Open Weight Division. Practise building that frame with your legs and getting off your partner. 

  1. Practise building that frame turning into your partner and away from your partner. 

  2. Practise getting your arm underneath your partner so you can get off your shoulders. 

  3. Practise the back door escape by getting to your knees. 

  4. Practise turning into your partner and sweeping them into kesa gatame

Watch Video | How to practice escaping side control

Escaping Side Control Training Checklist

So you have watched all the videos and now have a better understanding of what you need to do to escape side control. Now it’s time to tick off your practice and progress.

Actions

  1. Practise the hipescape. This means building a frame legs and getting your hips and shoulder off the ground.

  2. Practise the hipescape away from your partner.

  3. Practise the hipescape into your partner.

  4. Practise the back door escape.

  5. Practise the sweep into kesa-gatame

  6. Practise the upa escape by pinning your elbow behind your partners hips and bridging.

Progress Check In

You can escape side control against someone at your level.

You can escape side control against a higher belt.

You feel confident escaping side control.

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How Other Students Feel About Escaping Side Control.

The data from our BJJ Journey Score shows that most students struggle escaping side control. Your priority should be to get comfortable in bad positions.

If you would like to map your Jiu-Jitsu try our BJJ Journey Score below: